Method of and apparatus for cementattaching soles to shoes



Feb. 29, 1944.- E. A. (.TREPEAU METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CEMENT-ATTACHING SOLES TO SHOES Filed July 17, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet 1 50 tlllll-lllllllll Feb. 29, 1944. 'E. A. CREPEAU METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CEMENT-ATTACHING SOLES "1'0 SHOES 3' Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed. July 1'7, 1941 A W 7 W Feb. 29, 1944. CREPEAU 2,342,725

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CEMENT-ATTACHING SOLES TO SHOES Filed July 1'7, 194]. 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 WvE/VTUR Patented Feb. 29, 1944 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CEMENT- AT'IACHING SOLES TO SHOES Ernest A. Crepeau, Haverhill, Mass., assignor to- United Shoe Machinery Corporation,

a corporation of New Jersey ton, N. J.',

Fleming- 'Application July 17, 1941, Serial No. 402,756

23 Claims.

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for use in the attachment of soles to shoes and is illustrated inconnection with the attachment of tap soles to shoes which are being repaired.

Objects of the invention are to enable a shoe and sole having thermoplastic cement thereon to be located with respect to each other, the cement on the shoe and sole simultaneously activated by heat, and the shoe and sole pressed together to efiect attachment of the sole to the shoe while the cement is still activated.

With these objects in view, the method con-- sists in locating a shoe having thermoplastic cement on its bottom in predetermined position, locating a sole having thermoplastic cement on its attaching face relatively to the shoe while the cement is inactive, activating the cement on the shoe and sole simultaneously as, for example, by directing radiation equally toward the cemented surfaces of the shoe and sole, and While the cement is in activated condition pressing the shoe and sole together.

The illustrated apparatus comprises a work support for sustaining a shoe, bottom up, and a pad movable toward and from the shoe bottom to press the sole thereon. The shoe bottom is prepared by roughing it and applying a solution of thermoplastic cement thereto, the outsole or tap sole being prepared in a similar manner. After the cement is dry the sole may be located upon the shoe bottom, for example by hand, and is so held while the pad is pressed upon the shoe bottom. Connected with the pad is means for engaging and holding the sole comprising a suction cup which takes hold of the prelocated sole so that when the pad is separated from the shoe the sole is held suspended by the suction cupabove the shoe in proper relation thereto. Heating means is then employed to direct radiation equally toward the cemented surfaces of the shoe and sole, this being preferably done by electric heating elements introduced between the shoe and sole whereby the cement on both the shoe and sole is activated simultaneously. The heating elements are then withdrawn and the sole is pressed upon the shoe in the location previously determined. On the pressure-applying stroke the suction cup is not operated so that after a suitable dwell to insure that the cement will be set the pad is readily separated from the shoe bottom. As illustrated, a suitable bellows is connected with the suction cup, the bellows being operatedat every other strokeof the pad to -cause thecup to cling to the sole.

In" the drawings,

Fig.1 is a rear elevation of: the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a side elevationpartly in section;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the cement-activating elementsin their operative'position; and' Fig. 4 isa longitudinal sectional view of the pad while in pressure-applying position on the shoe.

The shoe support may comprise a jack (Fig.2) of usual construction having a base It mounted on a suitable support such as a bench or table,

The? base ill has pivoted thereto at i2 an up-- standing. stud M on which the main member l6 of the jack is pivoted.- The member l6 has pivoted'. to it at one end a heel pin i8 urged for wardly by a spring 20 and at the other end carries an'adjustable toe post 22. A shoe S, the forepart of the sole of which hasbeenremoved and the bottomof which has been coated with: thermoplastic cement. and allowed. to dry, is placed upon the heel pin it and its toe. portion swung. into position on the toe rest 22, reaction of the spring 20 holding the shoe in a predetermined position; An outsole O is" prepared by roughing its attaching face'and applying. thermoplastic cement thereto,.the= cementbeing. allowed;

to dry- The sole. 0' is located upon. the bottom of the shoe S and pressed thereon: by a pad' 24,. the cement at this time being unactivated. The

pad 24 is carried by a. crosshead: 26 mountedto slide vertically upon upright rods 2.8. The cross-' head 2-6 carries a central vertical rod 30 whichis'arranged to slide up and down ina crosspiece 32 which has at each side'of the rod3ll upstanding ears 34 between-which is pivoted at 36a cam lever 38; The rod. 30 has a head: adapted to be engaged by the cam lever 38 whereby the pad.

26 is pushed toward the'shoe. Between the head.

40 and thecrosspiece 32 is a compression spring 42 acting to lift the rod 30- and: the pad when the hand lever 38 isin the position shown in Fig. 2..

Located about centrally of the forepart'of the pad (Fig. 4) is a rubber suctioncup 44 mounted on a tube 46- arranged to slide: through the pad. support 26. A compression spring 48 between the support 26 and. acollar 50 on the tube 46 tends to hold the suction cup 44 projecting slightly beyond the pressing face of'the pad as far as permitted by a stop collar 52' on the tube 4'6. The: tube is" connected by flexible tubing 54" to the lower end of a bellows56. This may bea metal bellows of the so-call'ed Silphon type. Thebellows 5'6 ism 'ounted in a-casing. 58 w hich-is secured atifill to azdownwardly pros ecting portion of the crosspiecetz. fFastened to' the top of the bellows 56 is a head 62 to which is fixed a rod 64 mounted to slide vertically in a block 66 held by screws 68 to the casing 58. The rod 84 (Fig. 2) is splined in the block 66 and has at its upper end a sliding contact piece I splined thereon between which and a collar 12 fixed on the rod is a compression spring I4 which maintains the contact piece at its upper limit of movement as determined by a pin I6.

A ratchet wheel I8 (Fig. 1) is mounted on a shaft 80 fixed in the head 40 at the upper end of the rod 30 which carries the pressing pad 24. The ratchet wheel is held on the shaft 80 by a screw 8I between the head of which and the ratchet wheel is a spring friction washer 83. The ratchet wheel has eight teeth 82 about its periphcry and on one side of the ratchet wheel I8 is a spring-pressed pawl 84 pivoted at 86 to a bracket 88 secured at 90 (Fig. 2) to one of the ears 34, the pawl 84 being arranged to turn the ratchet wheel I8 clockwise when it moves upwardly with respect to the pawl. On the opposite side of the machine is a longer pawl 92 which is spring pressed toward the ratchet wheel 18 and is pivoted at 94 to a bracket 95 similar to the bracket 88 and similarly mounted on the opposite ear 34. The pawl 92 has a hooked end and acts to turn the ratchet wheel clockwise when it moves downwardly with respect to the pawl. The friction washer 83 prevents accidental turning of the ratchet wheel, for example, by rubbing of the pawls thereon during inoperative movements of the pawls. The ears 34, 34 are connected by a bar I00 to render the structure more nearly rigid andto provide a limiting stop for the lever 38. As the head 40 is moved downwardly by the operation of the lever 38, the ratchet wheel I8 moves with it relatively to the pawls 84, 92 and during the downward stroke of the head the pawl 92 engages one of the teeth of the ratchet I8 and turns it clockwise (Fig. 1). When the head rises the pawl 84 will engage a tooth and move the ratchet wheel farther in the same direction. On the front face of the ratchet wheel I8 are two projections I02, I04 arranged at opposite ends of a diameter of the wheel. As the ratchet wheel 18 is rotated the projections I02, I04 will alternately assume positions just above the contact piece 10, as shown in Fig. 2. Supposing the parts to be in the positions shown in Fig. 1 and the lever 38 to be moved down, the abutment I92 will engage the contact piece 10 and depress it, thus compressing the bellows 56 until one of the ratchet teeth 82 engages the pawl 92, causing the abutment I02 to be moved to the left far enough to release the contact piece, whereupon the bellows 56 expands, causing the suction cup 44 to become attached to the tread face of the prelocated sole and to hold it in the same positional relation to the shoe that it was in when engaged by the suction cup but separating it vertically from the shoe as the suction cup rises.

Electric heating elements I06, I08 (Fig. 3) are now introduced between the sole 0 and the bottom of the shoe S to activate the cement on the shoe and sole. The heating elements I06, I08 are made quite thin heightwise of the shoe and are each shaped in plan (Fig. 3) to correspond substantially to the shape of one half of the cemented area on the sole or shoe bottom, the cement being, as usual, applied to the marginal portions only of the sole and shoe bottom. The heating elements are also shaped to follow the longitudinal curvature of the shoe bottom.

The heating element I06 is carried by a rod H8 mounted to slide horizontally through a bearing II2 secured on one of the rods 28, the rod H0 being splined in its bearing to prevent its turning. The other end of the rod is provided with a handle I I4 (Fig. 1) and between the handle and the bearing H2 is a compression spring H6 acting to hold the heating element in its outer position away from the shoe. The element Iilii is provided with suitable leads II8, I20 which are connected through a rheostat I22 to a suitable source of current controlled by a switch I24. The heating element I08 is similarly mounted upon the upright rod 28 on the opposite side of the machine and is similarly connected by leads I20, I28 to the source of current through a rheostat I30. Thus it will be seen that the temperature of the heating elements I08, I08 may be independently controlled by their respective rheostats. The operator, by pushing inwardly on the opposite handles II4, locates the heating elements over the shoe bottom and midway between the shoe bottom and the sole O and holds them there for a time sufiicient to activate the cement both on the shoe and on the sole. He then releases the handles II4, whereupon the springs IIB react to withdraw the heating elements from position over the shoe, and operates the lever 38 whereby the sole 0 is moved into the proper prelocated position on the shoe bottom and firmly pressed thereagainst by the pad 24. The projection I02, having been moved three stages clockwise, is not now in position to engage the contact piece I0 and accordingly, when the pressure is released, the suction cup 44 will be inoperative. Upon the upward movement of the pad to release the shoe, the ratchet I8 will be moved a fourth stage, bringing the opposite projection I 34 into position to engage the contact piece ii] on the next operation of the lever 38.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods of attaching soles to shoes which comprises providing a shoe and its sole with inactive thermoplastic cement on their attaching faces, locating the sole upon the shoe bottom, separating the shoe and sole while maintaining the positional relation between them, introducing a heating element between the shoe and sole to activate the cement, removing the element, and pressing the shoe and sole together while the cement is in activated condition.

2. That improvement in methods of attaching soles to shoes which comprises roughing the overlasted portion of the upper of a lasted shoe, coating the roughened upper with thermoplastic cement, providing an outsole with inactive thermoplastic cement on the marginal portion of its attaching face, locating the prepared sole on the bottom of the shoe, separating the shoe and sole in a direction perpendicular tothe sole, while the shoe and sole are separated and in their proper relative lateral and longitudinal relation introducing between the shoe and sole heating means adapted to radiate heat toward the attaching surfaces of the shoe and sole to activate the cement on both the shoe and sole, and, while the cement is in activated condition, removing the heating means and pressing the shoe and sole together in the pre-loeated relation.

3. That improvement in methods of attaching soles to shoes which comprises roughing the overlasted portion of the upper of a lasted shoe, coating the roughened upper with thermoplastic cement, providing an outsole with inactive thermoplastic cement on the marginal portion of its attaching face, relatively locating the prepared sole and they bottom of the shoe, separating the sole and the shoe a predetermined distance heightwise of the shoe and While holding their attaching faces substantially parallel introducing between the'shoe and sole heating means to activ-ate the cement on both the shoe and sole, and, while the cement is in activated condition, removing the heating means and pressing the shoe and sole together in the relative position in which they were previously located.

4. That improvement in methods of attaching soles to shoes which comprises roughing the overlasted portion of the upper of a lasted shoe, coating the roughened upper with thermoplastic cement, supporting the shoe bottom up with the cement in inactive condition, providing an outsole with inactive thermoplastic cement on the marginal portion of its attaching face, locating the prepared sole on the bottom of the shoe, applying a suction cup to engage the sole in its located position, moving thesole and cup heightwise or the shoe away from the shoe a predetermined distance and While holding its attaching face substantially parallel to the shoe bottom introducing between the shoe and sole heating means to activate the cement on both the shoe and sole, and, while the cement is in activated condition, removing the heating means and pressing the sole upon the shoe in its prelocated position.

5.. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support for holding a shoe in predetermined position, means for holding a sole in predetermined relation to the shoe, heating means arranged for movement substantially parallel to the plane of the sole to and from a position between the sole and the shoe to cause activation of thermoplastic cement on the shoe and sole, and means for pressing the shoe and sole together.

6. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support, a sole pressing pad, means for moving the pad heightwise of a shoe on the support, means on the pad for seizing a sole located on the shoe and for holding it in spaced relation to the shoe when the pad is raised, and means controlled by the heightwise movements of the pad for rendering the sole holding means operative on alternate downward strokes of the pad.

7. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support, a sole pressing pad movable heightwise of a shoe on the support, means on the pad for seizing a sole located on the shoe and holding it in predetermined relation thereto, means for moving the pad toward and from the shoe to apply pressure thereto, and means controlled by such movement for rendering the sole holding means operative on alternate downward strokes of the pad.

8. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support, a sole pressing pad movable heightwise of a shoe on the support, means on the pad for seizing a sole located on the shoe and holding it in predetermined relation thereto, means for moving the pad toward and from the shoe to apply pressure thereto, means controlled by such movement for rendering the sole holding means operative on alternate downward strokes of the pad, and a heating element arranged for movement parallel to the shoe bottom into position between the shoe and sole when the sole is lifted from the shoe bottom by said seizing means.

9. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprise ing a shoe support, a sole pressing pad, means for moving the pad heightwise of a shoe on the support, means on the pad for seizing a sole located on the shoe and holding it in predetermined relation thereto, heating means arranged to radiate heat toward the adjacent faces of the shoe and sole while separated to activate thermoplastic cement thereon, and means controlled by movement of the pad for rendering the sole holding means operative on one downward stroke of the pad and inoperative on the next downward stroke.

10. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support, a sole pressing pad, means for moving the pad heightwise of a shoe on the support, means on the pad .for seizing a sole located on the shoe when the pad is lowered and holding it in predetermined relation thereto when the pad is raised, a heating element arranged for movement parallel to the shoe bottom into position between the shoe and sole, and means for rendering the sole seizing means inoperative upon downward movement of the pad to press the sole on the shoe.

11. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support, a sole pressing pad, means for moving the pad heightwise of a shoe on the support, means on the pad .for seizing a sole located on the shoe and holding it in spaced relation to the shoe when the pad is raised, and means controlled by the heightwise movement of the pad for rendering the sole holding means alternately operative and inoperative upon successive downward strokes of the pad.

12. A cement sole attaching apparatus come prising a shoe support, a sole pressing pad, means for moving the pad up and down heightwise of a shoe on the support, means on the pad for seizing a sole located on the shoe and holding it in predetermined relation thereto when the pad is raised, a heating element arranged to be introduced between the shoe and sole to activate thermoplastic cement thereon, and means for rendering the seizing means inoperative upon downward movement of the pad to press the sole upon the shoe.

13. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support, a sole pressing pad, means for moving the pad heightwise of a shoe on the support, means for locating a sole relatively to the shoe bottom, heating means arranged for movement into position between the shoe and the sole to supply heat to the attaching faces of the shoe and sole while so located to activate thermoplastic cement thereon, means for withdrawing the heating means, and means for relatively moving the shoe and pad to press the shoe and sole together.

14. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support, a sole pressing pad, means for moving the p d heightwise of a shoe on the support, means on the pad for seizing a sole located on the shoe when the pad is lowered and for holding it in predetermined relation thereto when the pad is raised, a heating element arranged for movement parallel to the shoe bottom into position between the shoe and sole, and means for rendering the sole holding means inoperative upon downward movement of the pad to press the sole upon the shoe.

15. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support, a sole pressing pad, means for moving the pad heightwisepf a shoe on the support, means on the pad for seizing a sole located on the shoe and holding it in predetermined relation thereto, heating means arranged to radiate heat toward the adjacent faces of the shoe and sole while they are separated to activate thermoplastic cement thereon, and means controlled by movement of the pad for rendering the sole-seizing means operative on one downward stroke of the pad and inoperative on the next downward stroke.

16. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support on which a shoe and sole having inactive thermoplastic cement on their engaging faces may b located, means movable heightwise of the shoe for seizing the sole prelocated on the shoe and for holding the sole in predetermined relation to the shoe but separated heightwise therefrom, a heating element arranged for movement parallel to the shoe bottom in a position between the sole and shoe, a sole pressing pad, means for relatively moving the pad and shoe support to press the shoe and sole together, and means for rendering th sole holding means inoperativ during the pressing movement of the pad.

17. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support, a sole pressing pad, means for moving the pad heightwise of a shoe on the support, a vacuum cup on the pad for seizing a sole located on the shoe and holding it in spaced relation to the shoe when the pad is raised, and means controlled by the heightwise movement of the pad for rendering the vacuum cup alternately operative and inoperative upon successive downward strokes of the pad.

18. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support, a shoe pressing pad, means for moving the pad up and down heightwise of a .shoe on the support, a vacuum cup carried by the pad for seizing a sole located on the shoe and holding it in predetermined relation thereto when the pad is raised, a heating element arranged to be introduced between the shoe and sole to activate thermoplastic cement thereon, and means for rendering the vacuum cup inoperative upon downward movement of the pad to press the sole upon the shoe.

19. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support, a sole pressing pad, means for moving the pad heightwise of a shoe on the support, a vacuum device for seizing a sole located on the shoe when the pad is lowered and for holding it in predetermined relation thereto when the pad is raised, a heating element arranged for movement parallel to the shoe bottom into position between the shoe and sole, and means for rendering the vacuum device inoperative upon downward movement of the pad to press the sole upon the shoe.

20.A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support, a sole pressing pad, means for moving the pad heightwise of a sho on the support, a suction cup carried by the pad, 9. bellows connected with the suction cup, means for operating the bellows to cause the cup to seize a sole located on the shoe when the pad is lowered and to hold the sole in predetermined relation to the shoe when the pad is raised, heating means arranged to radiate heat toward the adjacent faces of the shoe and sole while separated to activate the thermoplastic cement thereon, and means controlled by movement of the pad for rendering the bellows operative when the suction cup is lowered to engage the located sole and inoperative when the pad is lowered after activation of the cement to press the sole on the shoe.

21. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support for holding a shoe in predetermined position, means for holding a sole in predetermined relation to the shoe and separated therefrom heightwise of the shoe, a pair of electric heating elements arranged for movement from opposite sides of the shoe into position between the shoe and sole to activate thermoplastic cement thereon, means for retracting the heating elements, and means for pressing the shoe and sole together after the cement has been activated.

22. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support for holding a shoe in predetermined position, means for holding a sole in predetermined relation to the shoe and separated therefrom heightwise of the shoe, a pair of electric heating elements arranged for movement into position between the shoe and sole to activate thermoplastic cement thereon, means for independently controlling the heating effect of said elements, and means for pressing th shoe and sole together after the cement has been activated.

23. A cement sole attaching apparatus comprising a shoe support for holding a shoe in predetermined position, means for holding a sole in predetermined relation to the shoe and separated therefrom heightwise of the shoe, a pair of electric heating elements arranged for movement parallel to the shoe bottom into position substantially midway between the shoe and sole to activate thermoplastic cement thereon, means for independently controlling the heating effect of said elements, and means for pressing the shoe and sole together after the cement has been activated.

ERNEST A. CREPEAU. 

